Prosecutor Michael Bowes QC said that on the night of the gas leak Mr Cilliers had left his wife at their home in Amesbury, Wiltshire, to stay at his Army barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire.

He said the following morning Ms Cilliers contacted her husband complaining of a gas smell coming from a kitchen cupboard next to the oven.

She noticed dried blood on the fitting which was later found to be a full DNA match to her husband, the court was told.

The jury was told the Royal Army Physical Training Corps sergeant lied to his lover, Stefanie Glover, that he was leaving his wife because she was having an affair and he was not the father of one of their children.

Mr Bowes QC said Mr Cilliers was also having an affair with his ex-wife Carly Cilliers.

He told the court the defendant had debts of £22,000 and believed he would receive a £120,000 life insurance payout on his wife's death.

Image copyrightPAImage caption
Emile Cilliers made up lies about his wife having an affair, the court heard

Mr Bowes QC said Ms Cilliers was a highly experienced parachutist and instructor but when she jumped out of the plane 4,000ft (1,200m) above Netheravon Airfield in Wiltshire "both her main parachute and her reserve parachute failed".

"Those attending at the scene expected to find her dead, although she was badly injured, almost miraculously she survived the fall.

"Those at the scene immediately realised that something was seriously wrong with her reserve parachute, two vital pieces of equipment which fasten the parachute harness were missing," he said.